Together
by KaTni55Me77ark
Summary: Katniss has been reaped and she thought that her life is over. Instead, she finds herself making true friends where she least expected to - in the Hunger Games. What's worse is that she thinks she might be falling in love with her annoying yet charming district partner, Peeta Mellark. Involves other tributes and is very, very, VERY AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello!**

**First of all, I already wrote this story _and_ posted the first chapter but I had to change some things first. I just remembered that Katniss wrote in present tense so I had to delete it. And secondly, unlike what I said before, the chapters will neither be consistently long nor short. It just depends on my mood, I guess. Lastly, I know that the summary sucks but I just won't tell the whole story yet.**

**P.S. This is very, very, VERY AU. Almost all of the events did not happen in the book.**

**P. P. S. Some characters might be OOC.**

**Read and Review,**

**Maria **

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"Primrose Everdeen!"

For a moment, the world stops. For a moment, I'm being paralysed with shock. This morning - had it only been this morning? -replays in my mind.

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_I wake up as a high-pitched scream fills my ears. I bolt upright, look around and see my little sister, Primrose, thrashing and clutching the pillow in her sleep. I gently shake her until she opens her eyes. They are wide with fear and the rims are red._

_"Prim? Shhh... It's okay, you were just having a nightmare -"_

_"It was me. It was me," she says, her voice shaking._

_Of course, it's the day of the Reaping. Getting your name chosen for the Hunger Games is the worst nightmare of all. But my little sister shouldn't be thinking of that. She only had one slip, after all. One amongst thousands. The odds are in her favour._

_"Prim, your name has only been there once. They're not going to pick you. Go back to sleep."_

_"But Katniss -" she starts to cry but I cut her off._

_"Shhh... They won't, little duck. They're not going to pick you," I repeat until she falls asleep._

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_They're not going to pick you._

My own words ring inside my head as reality dawns on me. They did pick her. My little sister, the only person that I love in this horrible, cruel world. And I'm going to lose her.

Prim starts walking towards the stage, her hands tucking in the tail of her shirt. No, she doesn't deserve this. She has her whole life ahead of her! She will_ not _be sentenced to death.

"Prim!" I shout frantically but she's not turning around. "No! I volunteer!"

I try to reach her but two Peacekeepers come to restrain me. I'm not going to give up that easily. I shrug them off until they release me and say, this time, with a strong voice, "I volunteer as tribute."

The District Twelve escort, Effie Trinket, beams and chirps, "I believe we have a volunteer. This is so exciting! Come up on stage, dear."

I'm about to, when Prim puts her arms around my waist. "No, Katniss! Don't do this! You can't! No!"

She continues to scream until a strong pair of arms pry her away from me. I look up from where my little sister was before and into the grey eyes of Gale Hawthorne, my best friend. They are full of sadness, concern and hopelessness. He has not only been my hunting partner for years, but also my close confidante. I care about him a lot and him me. It takes all of my will not to cry then and there. I'm about to let my shoulders sag in defeat when I stop myself. No, I will not let my opponents see me as a weakling. I want them to see me as a threat because I'm coming home to my sister no matter what.

Gale pulls Prim to the sidelines and stayed there with her and my mother. Even when I know that she's safe for now, anxiety still doesn't leave me. I have Gale to worry about. He has 42 slips in that bowl, so the chances of him not getting reaped are pretty slim. Also, he has a younger brother, Rory, who has the same age as Prim. I wouldn't have worried about him too much but seeing that the odds aren't dependable of late, I wouldn't be sure of it.

"Now it's time to choose this year's lucky male tribute." Effie continues in the same silly voice that doesn't seem appropriate for what might be a person's vigil.

As if things couldn't get any worse, one of the things that I dreaded the most comes true.

"Gale Hawthorne!"

His head whips around to face Effie, making sure that he heard right. This is not happening! Who would provide for his family? Who will make sure that they don't starve to death? And who will make sure that Prim is in good hands with our less-than-capable mother? Before I could finish these thoughts, a clear voice rings out.

"I volunteer!"

My eyes widen and I search the crowd for whoever said that life-saving phrase. I follow all of the people's gaze and my eyes settle on a certain blond boy with blue eyes. It isn't someone I expected.

It's Peeta Mellark.

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**I will be posting chapter 2 shortly.**


	2. Chapter 2

Oh, no, I think. Not him!

Peeta's face registers shock, as if he couldn't believe he just said that. Maybe he didn't think before he acted. I silently hope he doesn't take it back if it meant that my best friend is safe. He doesn't. I feel guilty, though. Couldn't it be anyone else?

Peeta Mellark used to be my friend. We met in kindergarten and were real close - or that's what my parents told me. I don't remember anything about our friendship although I do remember vaguely the time his mother told my father that I was a Seam trash and that he wouldn't let his son near me again. She screamed at the both of us and I cried profusely as she dragged Peeta away from me.

Ever since that day, I couldn't remember being friends with him and completely forgot about him. We're in the same classes together but we never had any form of interaction. That is, until that dreadful, rainy night…

I was carrying Prim's old baby clothes. My father had just died in a mine accident, the same one that killed Gale's. There was no one to provide for our family, not even my mother. She fell into a deep depression when she found out and didn't listen to my and Prim's cries. The Capitol gave us money enough to feed us for a month, but it started running out. We had nothing but boiled water with mint leaves and we hadn't had any proper meals. I knew I had to do something.

I was trying to sell those clothes but no one would buy them. Not even in the Hob, District 12's black market. I had wandered into town, where the merchants live. I was so desperate that I picked through the garbage cans but they were empty, though. Just my luck.

Finally, I stopped behind the bakery. I hoped against hope that they would have something in their bins. Sure enough, there were burnt and stale breads and my stomach grumbled. I started rummaging through the trash when Mrs. Mellark came storming out with a rolling pin in hand.

"I am tired of you Seam brats pawing my trash cans! Get out of here! And if I ever catch you near here again, I _will _call the Peacekeepers!" she screamed. She turned around and grumbled her way back into the bakery.

I crawled helplessly under an old apple tree and I silently cry. I was hungry and tired, oh, so tired. I wished I could just die at that moment. I vaguely heard the door open again and I looked up to see Peeta with two loaves of bread in his arms. He tore off the dark chunks of the burnt breads and threw them in the trough. He then looked up at me and after checking for his mother, tossed the perfectly baked loaves in my direction. I quickly took them and ran all the way to our house. That was the first time in a while that we had anything other than soup. Our bellies were full and we slept soundly that night.

The next day, we were in the school yard when I saw that his cheek had swelled and his eye blackened. I thought, horrified, that maybe his mother had beaten him and that it was my fault. I debated whether or not I should walk up to him and say thank you or apologize. I stopped dead in my tracks when I caught him staring at me. Our eyes met for a few seconds before he quickly looked away. I dropped my gaze and it fell onto the first dandelion of the year. I then remembered about the times when I hunted with my father and I knew how to survive.

To this day, I can't help but think that somehow, Peeta and the dandelion were connected. That they both gave me hope. I haven't thanked him yet, even after all these years, and I still feel like I owe him. I hope I won't be the one to kill him.

I don't realize that I was so deep in thought until the mayor finished reading the dreary Treaty of Treason and tells the Peeta and I to shake hands. We do, and I can't help but notice that his hands are warm and steady despite today's events. So unlike mine, which are clammy and slightly shaking. We turn around to face the crowd as the anthem plays.

How on earth am I going to kill him? This thought keeps repeating itself in my mind.

The moment the anthem ends, we are taken inside the Justice Building and I'm left alone in a room. I sit on one of the plush chairs and wait. My mother and Prim come first and we start crying. After a few minutes, I start instructing them on what to do, now that I won't be around anymore. I tell my mother sternly that she can't clock out and leave Prim again. She needs her. They are about to get escorted out by a Peacekeeper when Prim comes running back and hugs me again.

"Katniss, you have to win. Please try," she says shakily.

"I will, little duck," I reply but I'm not so sure. Although I will try my hardest, it seems so impossible. There will be Career tributes, the biggest adversary of all.

"Promise?" she asks.

"I will try," I say instead but that's good enough for her.

She hugs me one more time and follows my mother out the door. Not a second passes and Gale comes in. He has me in a tight embrace and we stay silent. After a minute passes, speaks.

"I went to see the baker's son."

I'm surprised. "Peeta? Why?"

"I asked why he volunteered for me and told him how grateful I am. I knew I shouldn't have let him but—"

"I wouldn't have let you, anyway. Somebody needs to make sure both our families' bellies are full," I tell him fiercely.

"Just… be safe, okay? Come back to us." Here we go again. This time, though, I don't sugarcoat my answer.

"There are 24 of us, Gale, and only one comes out."

"And it would be you. You know how to hunt. You can train hard in the Capitol and learn new weapons. And Peeta - " he cuts himself off and I eye him suspiciously.

"What's Peeta got to d with anything?" I ask.

"Nothing. Just try to win," he changes the subject and I let him. We shouldn't waste our time.

"I'll miss you, Gale."

"I'll miss you too, Catnip." A Peacekeeper comes in again and drags him away. "Remember, Catnip. I l – " he manages to say before the door slams in his face.

Whatever he tried to say, I might never know. And that might be the last time I will ever see him.

Peeta and I are escorted to the train that will take us to the Capitol. I can see that his eyes are red and puffy so he must be crying. Well, it was his fault anyway, I think. He had the choice. After the doors close, he silently treads to find his room and I do the same. I am momentarily amazed by how spacious it is before I remember that we are just being prepared for slaughter and that this is only temporary. I plop down on the bed and I instantly fall asleep, too tired to keep my eyes open.

I wake up when an Avox comes in and places a fresh set of clothes on my bed. It's funny how even if she can't speak, she still manages to be very loud. Then I remember that they were punished and all humor disappears.

I don't change into my clothes and just walk out the door into the dining room. Peeta is already there and he sees me. He waves at me and says "Hey, sweetheart!" with a bright, cheery voice.

Wait, what?

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**So, this is chapter two! I know I said when I first published this story that I wouldn't elaborate on details but it just wouldn't flow, so I had to put them. Also, this chapter's events are not really that different from the book, except for the friendship thingy, some of the conversations and the last part. AND, the 'annoying yet charming' is going to come out next chapter, although you already had a glimpse of him in the last part. Please, bear with me!**

**Maria**


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